(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ji-heon and Min Seon-hee = The government summoned the ambassador to Ukraine in protest against Ukraine over the public controversy over the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war, and decided to withdraw additional diplomatic personnel.
Park Doo-soon, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 20th, "The government decided to withdraw some of the diplomatic staff in consideration of the difficulties in ensuring safety due to the constant threat of air raids throughout Ukraine in a situation where there is no proactive action from the Ukrainian side even after the recall of the ambassador to Ukraine."
Spokesperson Park added, "Even in the event of withdrawal, necessary diplomatic communication between the two countries will continue, centered on the acting ambassador," and added, "All consular staff will remain and continue to do their best to protect overseas citizens."
When asked whether the withdrawal of diplomatic officials meant diplomatic protest, Spokesperson Park responded, "Our government's position has already been communicated to the Ukrainian side through various methods, and we decided that there were no forward-looking measures despite the various circumstances, so we decided to take these measures."
The government had previously summoned Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang on the 8th.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on the 23rd of last month (local time).
The government expressed regret, saying that there was an agreement between the two countries to keep the prisoner repatriation private, but Ukraine violated the agreement by unilaterally making it public.
However, when the Ukrainian side said that 'there was no agreement to disclose the matter', the government increased its level of response and summoned the acting ambassador of Ukraine to Korea on the 28th of last month, summoned the ambassador to Ukraine, and even withdrew some of the diplomatic staff.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not disclose the number of people withdrawn from the Embassy in Ukraine, saying it could not be made public. However, officials said that about half of the diplomatic staff are scheduled to withdraw. Acting Ambassador Yoon Ji-wan will remain and maintain minimal political functions.
Some withdrawals of embassy personnel occurred at the Embassy in Libya in 2015 and the Embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, but all were due to the worsening local security situation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited 'the constant risk of air raids throughout Ukraine' as the reason for this withdrawal, but some point out that this is not persuasive as it is a situation that has persisted since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. The government has not yet withdrawn its diplomatic personnel during the Ukraine war.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said of the situation in Ukraine, "It is difficult to compare quantitatively, but it is true that it is serious, and the decision was made including measures on bilateral issues."
He then said, “We communicated (the decision to withdraw) to the Ukrainian side in advance through diplomatic communication channels.”
In line with the withdrawal of some of the diplomatic missionaries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will recommend immediate evacuation to local residents and will provide support for those wishing to evacuate to safely travel to nearby countries before or at the time of withdrawal.
The Embassy of Ukraine plans to survey the evacuation needs of about 85 local residents identified during daily safety inspections. The specific withdrawal schedule for diplomatic officials has not yet been determined.
The government views Ukraine's promise of "clear explanation, apology, and prevention of recurrence" as a condition for resolving the situation. “Ukraine’s forward-looking measures” mentioned by Spokesperson Park can be interpreted as Ukraine announcing or conveying its position containing these conditions.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials believed that in the absence of proactive measures from Ukraine, it would not be easy for diplomatic staff to return.
Ukraine has indirectly expressed its unwillingness to apologize, with Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha saying on the 12th (local time), after the Korean ambassador was recalled, that "I think this is a closed matter."
Regarding the possibility of considering additional measures if the current situation continues, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "It is not desirable for the measures to continue," and said, "I think the series of measures is aimed at understanding our serious position, and the ultimate goal is to promote an amicable solution between the two countries."
He said that “there is no change” in Korea’s intention to provide humanitarian and reconstruction support to Ukraine.
